Digital Commons Network^™

Medical Residency Competencies: Informatics, Library, And Evidence Based Practice, Deborah J. Rhue, Jonathan Eldredge

Posters and Presentations

No abstract provided.

Substance Use & Misuse Disorder Among Immigrant Youths, John Sebit, John O. Sebit

Thinking Matters Symposium

No abstract provided.

'There Is No Cause, There Is No Effect': Experiences At The Intersection Of Transgender And Neurodivergent Identities, Natalie Bornstein

Thinking Matters Symposium

A significant body of clinical research has demonstrated that neurodivergent individuals are more likely than neurotypical individuals to have transgender and/or gender expansive identities (Janssen et al., 2016; Strang et al., 2014). Within this body of research, neurodivergence and transgender identities are commonly mutually pathologized. Existent medico-psychiatric literature has been found to describe neurodivergence and transgender identities as “co-morbidities” and hypothesizes neurodivergence as a “cause” of transgender identity (Shapira & Granek, 2019, p. 506). A small but growing body of clinical, sociological, and theoretical scholarship has demonstrated the importance of non-pathologizing approaches to mental and physical healthcare for this population, …

Bibliometric Analysis Of Coronavirus Disease 2019 Medical Research Production From Saudi Arabia, Amr A. Jamal, Samar Binkheder, Raniah N. Aldekhyyel, Jwaher Almulhem, Shabana Tharkar, Afaf Ali Batis, Layal Hneiny

Faculty Publications

In response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and as an attempt to fill the knowledge gap related to this topic, extensive research in this area has been published. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as one of the countries affected by the pandemic, has contributed to the growing body of scientific literature related to COVID-19. To measure research contribution produced by Saudi Arabian affiliated researchers, we conducted a bibliometric analysis of COVID-19 research across two databases: the Web of Science and Scopus. Analysis was conducted on February 2, 2021 and included all relevant COVID-19-related publications (n = 1510). …

Abundant Yet Defective Virtue In The Third Reich, Eleanor Mm Wegener

Symposium on Research and Creative Expression (SORCE)

German author Uwe Timm wrote his book Am Beispiel Meines Bruders in the aftermath of World War II, during which time he struggled to come to terms with the fact that his older brother—fondly remembered by relatives as being a brave, honorable, and well-behaved child—was one of the many SS soldiers who contributed to the horrors of the holocaust. Timm relays loving childhood memories of his brother and juxtaposes them with shocking accounts of violence and racism typically associated with the time period. A close reading of the text reveals the link between these seemingly contradictory realities: Prussian values. The …

The Effectiveness Of Nssl's Experimental Warn On Forecast System For Severe Weather And Flash Flooding Events In The Carolinas In 2020-2021, Natalie Vernon

Symposium on Research and Creative Expression (SORCE)

The Warn-on-Forecast system is an experimental system of computer models that is being developed to improve forecasts, warnings, and decision support for high impact thunderstorm events. It is designed to give accurate predictions of thunderstorm hazards, such as hail, wind, flash flooding, and tornadoes. The goal of this project was to look at the effectiveness of the Warn-on-Forecast system in predicting these hazards in the Carolinas, and to identify elements that could improve ease of use for weather forecasters. Storm reports were gathered for the days that the Carolinas were in the forecast area for the system during 2020-2021. These …

Do Pornography Use And Masturbation Play A Role In Erectile Dysfunction And Relationship Satisfaction In Men?, Joe Castleman, Katelyn R. Bacys

Symposium on Research and Creative Expression (SORCE)

The current study investigated the relationships among masturbation frequency, pornography use, and erectile functioning and dysfunction in 3586 men within a multivariate context that assessed sexual dysfunctions. Results indicated that frequency of pornography use was unrelated to either erectile functioning or erectile dysfunction (ED) severity in samples that included ED men with and without various sexual comorbidities or in a subset of men 30 years or younger. In contrast, variables long known to affect erectile response emerged as the most consistent and salient predictors of erectile functioning and/or ED severity, including age, anxiety/depression, chronic medical conditions known to affect erectile …

Analysis Of Electrostatic Simulation Of Quantum Dot Cellular Automata, Dylan Grace, Spencer Gannon

Symposium on Research and Creative Expression (SORCE)

The simulation of Quantum-Dot Cellular Automata (QCA) has historically been a very difficult task because of the limited hardware resources that exist to verify our solutions. With that, the general approach to QCA simulation has typically been to account for the entire system Hamiltonian, or to do various approximations of the system that allow for faster simulation and increase the simulation capacity to be able to handle much larger circuits. In our work, we have used two approximations, ignoring the kinetic energy component of the Hamiltonian to determine the ground state exclusively from the potential energy curve and ignoring the …

To Adopt Blockchain Technology Or Not: Is The Decision-Making Process Immune To Covid-19?, Rebecca Jauch

Thinking Matters Symposium

Blockchain technology has been shown to have advantages in improving the effectiveness of supply chain management. We use the Technology-Organization-Environment (TOE) framework with Threat-Rigidity Theory (TRT) to determine the factors that lead U.S. businesses to adopt blockchain technology, the factors that act as barriers to adoption, and the disruptive effect of COVID-19 on the rate of blockchain adoption

Genetic Diversity In Helianthus Annuus: Selective Breeding And Induced Mutagenesis, Dillon Holton

Thinking Matters Symposium

H. annuus, more commonly known as the sunflower, is a single species that has many different variations. Traits have been selectively bred for hundreds of years in order to produce a beautiful flower as well as essential agricultural products. Recently interest in the sunflower as a food and fuel crop has led to selective breeding of seeds that produce high yields of sunflower oil. To further push the limits of this plant's genome, researchers have used mutagenesis to force mutations in hopes of developing novel modifications that could increase yield. With the entire genome mapped, the goal for many research …

The Invisibility Aspect In Language Acquisition Among Native American Ells, Nadine Bravo

Thinking Matters Symposium

What impact can generational trauma have on language acquisition in L1 and L2 in Native Americans? What culturally appropriate methods in teaching literacy to Native American ELLs, essential to cultural identity formation, have been investigated, and what improvements can be made? This poster will shed some light on those questions.

Phishing For Fun, Madeline Moran

Computer Science Research Seminars and Symposia

The process of a phishing experiment that will be used to investigate a possible correlation between a person thinking style and their susceptibility to phishing scams.

The Moon Is Down And American Theater During World War Ii, Sally E. Parry, Robert L. Mclaughlin

Faculty Publications – English

This webinar was delivered in connection with the New York's Metropolitan Playhouse reading of John Steinbecky's 1940 play, The Moon is Down, which also served as a fundraiser for Direct Relief, provding aid in Ukraine and the region.

A recording of the webinar is available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cz17iKCK7BA

Microseismic Mapping Of Aftershock Sequences Following The Lincoln, Montana M 5.8 2017 Earthquake, Reyer M. Fenoff

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

The Rocky Mountains of western Montana have long been experiencing tectonic compression and extension that has shaped much of western North America. This activity consistently produces seismic events, like the 6 July 2017 M 5.8 earthquake just south of Lincoln, MT, that help constrain structure beneath the surface of the Earth. Seismic mapping is vital to understanding structure and tectonic activity in western Montana as well as in analogous locations across the world. Recently deployed seismometers from the University of Montana alongside the existing seismic network from the Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology have been collecting continuous data from …

A Comparison Of Wildfire Adaptive Traits In Juvenile Conifers Of The Northern Rockies, Andie Sonnen

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Wildfire is an importance disturbance that continues to shape the ecosystems of the Northern Rockies and Interior Northwest through varying patterns of frequency and severity. Due to historical fire suppression and the hotter and drier conditions brought upon by anthropogenic climate change, wildfire frequency and severity is increasing. These increases will alter vegetation structure and composition, but the degree to which is unknown.

Understanding how individual plant traits that reduce fire-related mortality differ between species and change with tree age can offer insight into how these vegetation communities will shift. Two traits associated with increased wildfire survival are thicker bark …

Who Or What Holds The Power In Any Given Situation?, Hannah Nicole Dusek

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

In the past few years, the dynamics of power in our society have become prevalent in daily life to an extent that seems unprecedented. What is it exactly, though, that determines who or what holds the power in any given situation? The inspiration for my dance piece, “And Then, The Influence Shifted”, was driven by this very question, whose resulting answer is manifested in the work as seven different “powers” that shift and influence each of the six dancers. As each different power is physicalized by the dancers, the overall movement is meant to come together so as to examine …

How Is Seasonal Tree Growth Related To Soil-Atmosphere Variation In Water Potential At The Hillslope Scale?, Fin A. Malone

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

As climate change increases drought severity in forested ecosystems, knowledge of hillslope-to-catchment scale ecohydrological processes is necessary to inform adequate conservation, restoration, and management. Drought impacts atmospheric demand and soil water availability, which are considered important drivers of plant growth and water stress. This soil-plant-atmosphere continuum (SPAC) characterizes the movement of water from the soil, through plants, and into the atmosphere. In mountain landscapes, gradients in elevation, aspect, and local topography may contribute to significant differences in SPAC and therefore vegetation response. Recent modeling of this system’s dynamics has become an important focus of ecohydrological studies. However, these studies are …

Every Artist Is An Advocate, Noah Riley Bulman Durnell

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Growing instability in higher education funding (Thomas, 2021) has directly impacted the University of Montana music program but has also indirectly changed the role of music students to such an extent that I now often say, “every artist is an advocate.” In 2018, the University of Montana School of Music experienced significant threats from budget cuts, and in the years following, attempts to earn legislative funding for capital development failed. Faced with these budget cuts and other lack of funding, music students had to advocate for themselves and employ community and institutional support to maintain the strength of their program. …

Do Wildfire-Mitigation Practices Affect The Conservation Of Sensitive Owls?, Josef D. Pifer

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Fire-mitigation practices are commonly used in fire-adapted forests of the western US to reduce fire hazard and restore historical fire regimes. However, these treatments are being implemented without synthetic knowledge on the extent to which they may adversely affect species of conservation concern due to the possible alteration of critical habitat features they rely on. Although some studies have been done, to date there has not been a synthesis of information or recommendations for a strategic agenda of future research. To accomplish this, I conducted a bibliometric review of articles identified in Web of Science that assessed the effect of …

Non-Structural Carbohydrate Depletion May Increase Vulnerability To Embolism In Drought-Stressed Ponderosa Pine Saplings, Jacob D. Kleimann

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Drought-induced mortality is an increasingly important driver of forest loss across the western U.S. as the severity of drought intensifies under global climate change. Under drought, the water column in the xylem, the tree’s water transport system, encounters increasing tension, potentially leading to embolism and interruption of water transport. Repeated embolism can ultimately lead to hydraulic failure and eventual drought-induced mortality. Studies in poplar have shown that depletion of stored non-structural carbohydrates (NSC), which is common under drought, increases their vulnerability to xylem embolism. However, few studies have mechanistically characterized this relationship in conifer species or in naturally occurring field …

Low Amphibian Larvae Recruitment At Restoration Site In Western Montana: Is Fish Predation Responsible?, Mackenzie E. Weiland

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Amphibian populations around the world are declining at an alarming rate and the decline of western Montana amphibians reflects this trend. As part of the restoration monitoring efforts at Milltown State Park, MT, native amphibian occupancy should be measured. I chose Milltown State Park because it is the largest Superfund site in the U.S. and millions of dollars have been spent on restoration efforts since 2008. However, little is known about amphibian occupancy at the site. Currently, egg masses of the native Columbia spotted frog are found in permanent wetland sites at Milltown State Park, yet larvae detection at these …

Monitoring And Managing Carbonate Chemistry In A Marine Model Ecosystem., Devyn "Gabrilla" Cameron

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Note: This project was done during an internship with the Montana Space Grant Consortium, hosted by Flathead Valley Community College. The project is ongoing.

The purpose of this work was to better characterize the carbon and carbonate cycles of marine systems. Due to increasing levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, the world’s oceans are both warming and acidifying. This rapid change in marine systems demands researches to investigate how these changes will affect the ocean and the variety of life within them. Saltwater tanks are frequently used as model ecosystems, but are notoriously and fundamentally difficult to control parameters, …

The Impacts Of Saprotrophic Fungi On Crop Production, Candace "Andi" Wiedemann

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

The effects of saprophytic fungi on soil health have been observed extensively. As decomposers, these types of fungi are known to build soil by breaking down organic material through extracellular enzymatic activity, leading to an increase of available nutrients for local plants, including nitrogen, phosphorous, metals, and atmospheric carbon. Additional evidence suggests fungal activity can promote plant health by displaying antibacterial, antinematodal, and pesticidal properties in soils. With this research, I explore the relationship between fungi and crops in agricultural systems to better understand soil food web dynamics and soil health. I interviewed various farmers, mycologists, and soil biologists about …

Cultivating An Active Learning Environment In A Traditional And Community Based Course, Sebastian James Driver Mr.

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Learning Assistants (LAs) are undergraduate students who complete a course and return to assist instructors in creating an active learning environment. From multiple studies, pedological and active learning techniques improve student retention, exam scores, and student participation. During the fall semester of 2021, I was an LA for two introductory courses, Pre-Calculus (M151) and Introduction to Honors (HONR120). In M151, I tested new active learning activities like practice problems, whiteboard activities, and Desmos activities. M151 prepares students for calculus and advanced science courses by building on previous algebraic and geometric theorems to manipulate these processes. M151 is “traditional” because in …

Wildland Firefighter Off-Season Mental Health, Luke Santore

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Wildland firefighter suicide rates are ten times that of the general population and lower than only a handful of other occupations in the US. Comorbid mental and behavioral health issues are similarly disproportionately common. In this paper I interview fourteen current and former wildland firefighters about their mental health before, during and (when relevant) after their occupational exposure to wildland fire. My intent is to provide a qualitative assessment of commonly reported mental health issues, their causes and possible solutions. Starting with ex-coworkers I utilized snowball sampling to gather interview subjects. I utilized concept-driven coding supported by memo notes. I …

Firewise Landscaping: Homeowner Knowledge, Behaviors And Educational Preferences, Kendal Beauvais, Rowan Grassi, Frederick Gleasman

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Although wildfire is a natural process in fire-adapted forests, it poses growing socioeconomic and health threats. Urban development and expansion into the wildland-urban interface (WUI) has heightened wildfire exposure, putting thousands of homes at risk in Montana alone.The Firewise USA program was created in an effort to reduce the risk of home ignition and loss in the WUI. The program encourages homeowners within WUI communities to engage in mitigation efforts such as using Firewise landscaping strategies to create a defensible zone around their homes and promotes the use of building materials that decrease overall ignition risk. Despite a growing body …

Estimating Elk Abundance In The Ruby Mountains, Wyatt Nielsen

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Human recreation and wildlife overlap is a growing concern. The amount of people who visit public land grow in numbers every year, and it is important to understand how these large visitor numbers are affecting the local ecosystem. Elk are particularly affected, since they need space to raise calves, find food, and sleep as a large herd. With the largest elk population in the United States, the state of Colorado is investigating how humans that hike and camp affect where elk spend their time and raise their calves. To this end, study sites have been set up with trail cameras …

Wilderness Ideology: Understanding The 1964 Wilderness Act And Wilderness Recreation, Allison Simko

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

The 1964 Wilderness Act was a landmark legislation created under unique circumstances, but its legacy no longer pertains solely to the culture it was created in. This paper seeks to address the present impacts of the themes and emotionality of language used in the Wilderness Act, specifically the term “untrammeled,” on modern Wilderness recreation policies and individual opinions. To fully understand the impacts of describing wilderness as an area that is “untrammeled,” this research is split into two parts. In the first part, I review and analyze outstanding literature regarding the variables that led to the creation of and specific …

Women And Water In Mountain Communities: Interactions Between Resource Access And Gender-Based Development, Jenna Mccrorie

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Potable water and safe sanitation services are some of the most crucial resources to communities all around the globe. Currently, as many as 2.2 billion people lack access to safely managed drinking water, and it is predicted that 1.8 billion people will be living in countries with absolute water scarcity by 2025. This indispensable resource and lifeblood of civilization originates in the “water towers of the world”: mountains. It is estimated that over half of the human population relies on major streams and rivers flowing out of mountainous areas. Communities in these areas face serious challenges when there is not …

Do Soil Characteristics Mitigate The Effects Of Herbicide On Plant Germination?, Lauren E. Spaeth

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Invasive species have negative consequences on biodiversity, ecosystem integrity, and the economy. In order to control invasive species, herbicides are used in natural areas where native plant abundance is a concern. Although, herbicides have been showed to adversely affect the germination non-target native plants. The extent to which soil characteristics, such as soil texture and duff depths, mitigate herbicide effects is unknown. I am proposing to assess the influence of soil factors on germination of the native plant species Gaillardia aristata (blanket flower) in soils that have been sprayed with herbicide. Specifically, I will set up a greenhouse experiment that …